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[colin-stevens]

can any one tell me where i can get a hot wire cuter to cut foam for a master for a hull. got the blue foam but having trouble cutting it to shape.
TA

[PIT]

When I used to build wings, I made my own hot wire cutter. It was made from a piece of wood, with stout piano wire ends to keep the wire tensioned. One end was fitted to a wire and a 12v supply (car battery most of the time), the wire then had a croclip on it and that was joined to the other terminal of the battery. The croclip was then slid up or down the wire to incease or decrease the resistance and so the temperature. The wire was Nichrome wire, or an old unwound heating element from a bar fire. Hope this is of some help. PIT
PS watch the vapours, realy nasty, not good to breath.

[barriew]

Proops list one in the catalogue I have - a couple of years old though.

Barrie

[croakle]

Does it have to be a hot wire?  I've not come across blue foam but that I have seen cuts well with a wood saw and can be shaped with sandpaper on a block.  No nasty fumes then either.  Just a thought.

Best wishes

Julian

[dougal99]

Hot wire doesn't give you the foam particles and dust that sawing and sanding gives.

Doug

[GOGSAMWE]

Amati used to do one, ran off a 9v battey, perhaps try Euromodels ?

Squires also do one, but I feel its not as good as the Amati one.( it uses fixed little lengths of wire, which easily break) The Amati one, came with a small coil of wire, which you cut to length, & lasted ages.... sort of fuse wire stuff.....

Hope this helps.

Steve

[Doc]

Colin,
Does 'SWMBO' have an electric knife??  I know that doesn't answer your question, and has the potential for disaster, but still an alternative.
 - 'Doc

PS - If she does, and you do, and she doesn't like it, it was all your idea, I don't even know you!

[towboatjoe]

My partner, River Bill, explains how to build one on his site at http://oldriverbillzumwalt.members.ktis.net/homemade-tools.htm

[colin-stevens]

cheers guys, mucho help

[BJ]

"Our Builds" is not normally an area that I look in so my apologies for being late with a reply.

Attached picture shows a cutter frame made from odd bits of wood and a couple of steel reinforcements.

The wire on the reel is 28swg CONSTANTAN and the ceramic resistors are 0.47 Ω J 10w and 2.2 Ω J 10w. These parts were purchased from Maplins. The power source is a 12V car battery. The wire only heats to "black" heat but enough to cut foam cleanly.